Seizures and transient blindness following intravenous pulse methylprednisolone in children with primary glomerulonephritis
A Bettinelli1, G Paterlini, E Mazzucchi
1Department of Pediatrics II, University of Milano, Italy.
Insights
Intravenous pulse methylprednisolone (IVPMP) treatment in children with glomerulonephritis can cause neurological side effects like seizures and blindness. Close monitoring is crucial to identify risks and prevent these adverse events.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Neurology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and endo-extracapillary glomerulonephritis are serious kidney conditions in children.
- Intravenous pulse methylprednisolone (IVPMP) is a potent corticosteroid therapy used for these conditions.
- Neurological complications following IVPMP treatment in pediatric patients are not well-documented.
Abstract:
Two children, 1 with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and 1 with endo-extracapillary glomerulonephritis, presented an episode of seizures and transient blindness at different times after i.v. pulse methylprednisolone (IVPMP) treatment. Neurological manifestations in patient 1 could be due to hypertension secondary to IVPMP, while the pathogenesis of such manifestations remained difficult to clarify in patient 2. The severity of uremia in patient 2 could be one of the conditions that, in association with the abrupt changes obtained with IVPMP, predispose to neurological manifestations. Careful clinical and biochemical monitoring seems necessary in children with primary glomerulonephritis, other than those transplanted, after IVPMP, and factors predisposing to neurologic sequelae should be further defined.
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